The world of magic tricks can seem harmless and fun, but some wonder if there’s a deeper spiritual concern. What does the Bible actually say about magic, illusion, and things that may deceive others? Let’s explore this topic through the lens of scripture.
Also Read: What Does The Bible Say About Trust In Marriage
What Does The Bible Say About Magic Tricks
Acts 19:19
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
This verse shows the transformation that occurs when people turn away from practicing magic arts. It highlights the significance of completely renouncing and destroying any involvement with magic in order to fully commit to following God.
Burning the books symbolizes a complete separation from the influences and practices of magic, demonstrating a firm commitment to following God’s commandments and rejecting any form of deception or false power.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD.
These verses make it clear that engaging in magic, divination, or any form of occult practices is strictly forbidden by God. He views these practices as abominations and warns against their pursuit.
God wants His people to trust in Him alone and seek guidance and power from Him rather than turning to supernatural or magical sources. These verses emphasize the importance of relying on God’s wisdom and guidance rather than seeking answers through deceptive or forbidden means.
Exodus 7:10-12
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.
This passage recounts the encounter between Moses, Aaron, and the Egyptian magicians. It highlights the power of God’s miracles and reveals the limited abilities of human magic or sorcery.
While the Egyptian magicians were able to mimic some of the miracles initially, they were eventually outmatched by the true power of God. This underscores the supremacy of God’s authority over any human attempts to manipulate or control supernatural forces through magic.
Revelation 21:8
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
This verse lists sorcerers among those who will face eternal punishment. It serves as a stern warning against engaging in any form of magic or sorcery, reminding believers of the severe consequences associated with such practices.
God desires purity and obedience from His followers, and involvement in magic or sorcery is incompatible with His standards. This verse emphasizes the importance of turning away from such practices and choosing to follow God’s righteous path.
Acts 8:9-11
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
This passage introduces Simon, a man who had gained popularity through his magical abilities. However, it highlights the emptiness and deception behind such acts of magic.
While Simon may have captured the attention and admiration of the people through his tricks, it is clear that true power lies with God and His kingdom. The verse serves as a reminder that fleeting displays of magic or illusions cannot compare to the everlasting power and authority found in a genuine relationship with God.
Isaiah 47:12-13
Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.
These verses condemn the reliance on magic spells and sorceries as futile and deceptive. The Babylonians, referred to in this passage, were warned that their reliance on these practices would ultimately bring them no real help or salvation.
In contrast, the prophet Isaiah calls them to seek true guidance and protection from the impending judgment by turning to God rather than relying on false sources of power and insight.
Galatians 5:19-20
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions.
This verse includes sorcery among the “works of the flesh,” which are sinful behaviors or attitudes that come from our fallen nature. It is grouped with other immoral and destructive behaviors that separate us from God’s plan for our lives.
By listing sorcery in this context, the verse highlights the spiritual danger and the spiritual separation that arises from engaging in magical practices. It urges believers to turn away from such behaviors and instead seek to live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Leviticus 20:27
A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.
This verse demonstrates God’s stern stance against practicing magic or necromancy. It reveals the severe consequences imposed for engaging in such activities during the time of the Old Testament.
God’s command to put to death those who engage in magic or necromancy illustrates His intolerance for those who seek to manipulate supernatural forces or consult the dead. It underscores the importance of faithfully adhering to God’s laws and refraining from indulging in practices that are an affront to Him.
Leviticus 19:26
You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying.
This verse prohibits the Israelites from engaging in divination and soothsaying. It emphasizes the importance of not relying on occult practices or seeking guidance from supernatural powers apart from God.
God desires His people to trust in Him alone and His sovereign will rather than trying to manipulate or predict the future through magical means. The verse encourages believers to focus on God’s revealed truth and seek His guidance through prayer and obedience.
Leviticus 19:31
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
God clearly commands His people not to consult mediums or spiritists in this verse. He warns that engaging in such practices will defile them and separate them from His holiness.
God desires a personal relationship with His people, and seeking supernatural guidance from sources other than Him not only defiles that relationship but also opens doors to deception and spiritual contamination. This verse emphasizes the importance of wholeheartedly relying on God alone and seeking His guidance in every aspect of life.
Leviticus 20:6
“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
This verse portrays the severity of turning to mediums and necromancers. Those who engage in these practices are not only rebellious against God’s commands but also place themselves in direct opposition to God’s presence and blessing.
By “cutting them off from among his people,” God ensures that those who persistently seek guidance from forbidden sources are separated from the community of believers. This verse serves as a strong deterrent warning against participating in the occult and highlights the importance of faithfulness and obedience to God’s commands.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.
These verses caution against blindly following individuals who perform magical signs and wonders but deviate from the true worship of God. It emphasizes the importance of discernment and carefully evaluating the teachings and motives of those who claim to have supernatural powers.
Even if their signs or wonders appear authentic, if their message leads people away from the worship of God, they are to be rejected. This highlights the need for believers to base their faith on God’s Word and submit to His revealed truth rather than being swayed by impressive magical displays.
2 Chronicles 33:6
And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
This verse describes the evil deeds of King Manasseh, who actively engaged in various forms of forbidden occult practices, including sorcery, fortune-telling, and consulting with mediums and necromancers.
The verse highlights the detestable nature of such practices and the consequences they bring upon individuals and communities. Manasseh’s actions provoked God’s anger, emphasizing the severe consequences that arise from indulging in forbidden magical arts.
Daniel 2:27-28
Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”
This passage highlights the limitations of human magic and divination. When King Nebuchadnezzar sought answers from his wise men, enchanters, magicians, and astrologers, they were unable to reveal the mystery he desired to know.
However, Daniel attributes the ability to interpret the king’s dream to God alone. This passage reaffirms that true insight and understanding come from God’s divine wisdom rather than from human magical practices.
Acts 13:6-12
When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
This story showcases Paul’s encounter with a magician named Bar-Jesus who tried to hinder the preaching of the Gospel. The confrontation reveals the true nature of magic and its opposition to the teachings of the Lord.
Paul’s proclamation exposes the deceit and villainy behind Elymas’ practices, emphasizing the importance of truth and righteousness in the face of deception. Paul’s divine authority, empowered by the Holy Spirit, neutralizes the magician’s powers, highlighting the superiority of God’s power over magic.
1 Samuel 28:7-19
Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” Then the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.
In this story, Saul turns to a medium in his desperation, seeking guidance from the dead prophet Samuel. The encounter with the medium exposes the deception and danger associated with necromancy and communication with spirits.
This passage serves as a cautionary tale against attempting to engage with the supernatural through forbidden means. It reveals the spirit of deception that can accompany such practices and underscores the importance of seeking truth and guidance from God alone.
Acts 16:16-18
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
This passage recounts an encounter where Paul casts out a spirit of divination from a slave girl. The girl’s spirit of divination allowed her to predict the future, which brought profit to her owners.
Although her proclamation about Paul and his companions appeared correct, Paul recognized the spirit’s deceptive nature and commanded it to leave the girl in the name of Jesus Christ. This event demonstrates the authority of Christ and the superiority of His power over any form of supernatural manipulation or divination.
Isaiah 8:19
And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
This verse challenges the people of God to seek His guidance rather than turning to mediums and necromancers. It questions the logic of seeking assistance from the dead when they should be inquiring of the living God who has the power to provide wisdom and guidance.
Isaiah’s message reiterates the importance of trusting in God alone and relying on His divine wisdom, rather than trying to access supernatural knowledge through forbidden means such as magic or necromancy.
Deuteronomy 18:14
For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.
This verse warns the Israelites against adopting the practices of the nations they were about to dispossess. These nations relied on fortune-tellers and diviners for guidance, but God strictly forbade His people from seeking guidance in this manner.
God desires His people to distinguish themselves by relying solely on His wisdom and trusting in His provision. By prohibiting the use of fortune-tellers and diviners, God establishes Himself as the ultimate source of guidance and instruction for His people.
Ezekiel 21:21
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the ways, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim; he looks at the liver.
This verse criticizes the king of Babylon for relying on divination and various forms of magic to make decisions. It highlights the emptiness and futility of such practices in comparison to the sovereign wisdom and guidance of God.
By showcasing the king of Babylon’s reliance on divination instead of seeking divine wisdom, this verse serves as a warning against placing trust in occult practices. It reminds believers to trust in the Lord and seek His guidance rather than relying on deceptive or unreliable sources.